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Father Joseph Van Leeuwen C.P. was laid to rest in the St. Francis de Hieronymo Catholic Church Garden Cemetery on Saturday, April 1. Father Joe was the first Passionist Priest to be buried in our garden cemetery since Father Ferdinand Madl's death in June of 1972.

During his priesthood he served as Provincial Secretary, Associate Pastor at Immaculate Conception Parish in Chicago, Illinois; Pastor at Holy Cross Immaculata Parish in Cincinnati, Ohio; Newman Center Chaplain at Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL.; and Pastor of the African American Parish in Birmingham, Alabama. He spent the past 20 years at the Passionist Mission in Southern, Kochi, India where he died unexpectedly on February 28. He was 81 years old.

Father Joe's funeral Mass was concelebrated by eight priests, including seven Passionist Priests who traveled to St. Paul from locations in the United States and India:

​Father Kenneth O'Malley, C.P.

Father Joseph Moons, C.P.

Father Thomas Rockey Kanjirathinkal, C.P.

Father Justin Nelson Alphonse, C.P.

Father Junesh Vakapadath, C.P.

Father Giltus Mathias, C.P.

Father Siby Padinjaredath, C.P.

Father David Michael Htun, St. Francis Pastor

The services were attended by a fifteen-man honor guard made up of fourth degree Knights of Columbus from St. Ambrose, St. Francis and other area parishes.

After the funeral the Altar Society hosted a community luncheon at St. Francis Parish Hall.

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​This is the community website for the St. Francis de Hieronymo and St. Ambrose Catholic Churches in Neosho County, Kansas. Both churches are located in the center of the historic nine-county southeast Kansas area. We share one of the richest Catholic Heritages in Southern Kansas and the Four-State Region. For more information about our churches, history, organizations or programs browse our site including its links.